Comparison

A Dark Room vs Reigns

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

A Dark Room

Experience a minimalist text-based adventure where you must survive and build a community. This award-winning game offers a deep narrative and engaging gameplay without any in-app purchases or ads.

Highlights
  • Text-based survival gameplay
  • Community building mechanics
  • Minimalist interface
  • VoiceOver playable
  • No ads or in-app purchases
  • Retro gaming feel
Features
Read full description

awake. head throbbing. vision blurry. the voices say to survive. - One of Apple's most downloaded apps of 2014. - Ranked in the top 10 games in 70 countries, #1 app overall in 7 countries. - No ads, no loot boxes, no IAP, no tracking. - 100% playable via VoiceOver. - Relive the glory days of gaming from the era of Zork.

About

Reigns

Rule a medieval kingdom by making decisions with a swipe of your finger. Balance the needs of various factions, from the church to the army, to extend your reign. Each choice has consequences that can lead to your dynasty's downfall.

Highlights
  • Swipe-based decision making
  • Kingdom faction balance
  • Dynasty survival
  • Event spanning centuries
  • Multiple ways to die
Features
Read full description

Sit on the throne as a benevolent (or malevolent) medieval monarch of the modern age and swipe your royal fingers either left or right to impose your will upon the kingdom. Survive the seemingly never-ending gauntlet of requests from your advisors, peasants, allies, and enemies while maintaining balance between the influential factions of your kingdom. But beware; each decision you make might have implications and unfortunate consequences down the road that could put your reign and family’s dynasty at risk! Each year of your reign brings another important – seemingly random – request from your unpredictable kingdom as you strive for balance between the church, the people, the army, and the treasury. Prudent decisions and careful planning make for a long reign but unforeseen motivations, surprise events, and poor luck can take down even the most entrenched monarch. Extend your reign as long as possible, forge alliances, make enemies, and find new ways to die as your dynasty marches along through the ages. Some events will span on centuries, with an intrigue involving burning witches, scientific enlightenment, wicked politics and, maybe, the Devil himself. *iPhone 5 / iPod Touch 6 / iPad Mini / iPad Air or later recommended.

Screenshots

A Dark Room4 screens
Reigns4 screens

Verdict

The call

A Dark Room and Reigns both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 93% of A Dark Room's written reviews are positive against 70% of Reigns's. A Dark Room also leads on price ($1.99 vs $2.99). Reigns's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

A Dark Room costs $1.99 and Reigns $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for A Dark Room against 4.8 for Reigns. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.7K and 7.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of A Dark Room's written reviews are positive against 70% of Reigns's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

A Dark Room ships an update every 2 months, Reigns every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 12, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
A Dark Room versus Reigns: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterA Dark RoomReigns
Price$1.99 — better$2.99
Rating4.8 (2.7K ratings) — better4.8 (7.6K ratings)
Positive reviews92.7% of reviews — better70.2% of reviews
Number of ratings2.7K7.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#29#11 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size103 MB124 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperAmirali RajanDevolver

Customer experience

A Dark Room

All ratings2,682 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral1.4%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews1,401 reviews
Positive92.7%
Neutral1.6%
Negative5.7%

Reigns

All ratings7,608 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral2.1%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews921 reviews
Positive70.2%
Neutral9.1%
Negative20.6%

Bugs and requests

A Dark Room

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Reigns

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Blank/corrupted cards
  • Crashes and freezes
  • Save file corruption
  • Compatibility issues on newer devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • More content and storylines
  • Ability to customize the king/kingdom
  • Improved UI and feedback on decisions
  • Difficulty settings or options
  • Cross-platform/cloud save support

In-app purchases

None

A Dark Room

No in-app purchases

None

Reigns

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is A Dark Room free?
A Dark Room costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Reigns free?
Reigns costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, A Dark Room or Reigns?
A Dark Room is rated higher. A Dark Room averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while Reigns averages 4.8 from 7.6K ratings.
Do A Dark Room or Reigns have ads?
Neither A Dark Room nor Reigns shows ads.
Which is updated more often, A Dark Room or Reigns?
A Dark Room ships an update every 2 months, and Reigns every 5 weeks. Most recently, A Dark Room was updated on November 12, 2026 and Reigns on November 12, 2026.
Which is more popular, A Dark Room or Reigns?
A Dark Room currently peaks at #29 in the App Store charts, and Reigns at #11. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons